Support Measures for Investors Offered by the Russian Export Center Group (REC, Part of VEB.RF Group): An Integrated Set of Instruments

REC is a state institution supporting foreign economic activity. For investors, this means access to a system in which each instrument addresses a specific need, from project assessment to investment protection and transaction financing. Support covers the entire cycle, from training to financing and insuring individual transactions.

I. Training, Analytics and Advisory Services — REC Export School

The REC Export School trains professionals and strengthens companies’ capabilities. For investors, this provides an opportunity to assess the potential of a specific project and understand which financial instruments are applicable to their circumstances. Its training and acceleration programmes cover the fundamentals of foreign economic activity, export finance instruments, customs regulation, cross-cultural aspects of negotiations with foreign partners, and much more. The School also offers thematic and country-specific guides that help professionals understand the particular characteristics of individual countries. Training is delivered online, with personalised certificates issued upon completion.

II. Insurance — Russian Agency for Export Credit and Investment Insurance (EXIAR)

Insurance support from EXIAR plays a key role in supporting investors.

• One of the most in-demand products today is investment insurance. It enables companies to protect funds invested in overseas assets against political risks that may arise in a foreign country. Interest in this instrument continues to grow: companies increasingly regard it as an essential safeguard when entering new markets.

Investment insurance covers risks arising from actions by foreign government authorities, including the expropriation or nationalisation of assets, restrictions on the repatriation of profits, blocked payments, and other actions by foreign states that may result in the loss or substantial impairment of investments. This allows investors to plan their operations with greater confidence, even in challenging jurisdictions.

• In addition, EXIAR offers buyer credit insurance to support large export-oriented projects. This product protects a Russian or foreign bank against the risk of non-repayment of a loan extended to a foreign borrower to pay under a contract for goods, services or works exported from Russia. Both commercial and political risks are covered. This mechanism enables banks to finance Russian exports more actively and share risks with a state development institution.

• EXIAR also offers dedicated solutions for exporters supplying products for overseas investment projects. REC Group supports these initiatives through pre-export finance insurance and export contract insurance, protecting suppliers against the risk of non-payment by foreign buyers.

III. Financing, Lending and International Payment Services — Eximbank Of Russia

Against a backdrop of sanctions restrictions and turbulence in financial markets, companies engaged in foreign economic activity increasingly face difficulties in finding stable partners. Eximbank Of Russia key advantage is its willingness to work with the specific risks of foreign economic activity, which are unfamiliar to most banks and even to many participants in international trade.

Eximbank Of Russia offers businesses not isolated instruments, but comprehensive support at every stage of the export cycle.

It provides preferential loans for the implementation of export projects, the production of export goods and support for Russian direct investment abroad. This includes export contract financing, working capital funding and other instruments that help businesses implement large-scale projects.

Some of Eximbank Of Russia key products include:

• VAT Refund Guarantee

A simple and accessible instrument has been developed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking refunds of export-related VAT: a guarantee of up to RUB 10 million with a fixed fee of RUB 5,000. This solution helps businesses accelerate refunds and avoid tying up working capital while awaiting tax checks.

• Pre-Export Financing

This product enables exporters to replenish working capital to cover specific expenses, including raw material purchases, contractor services, logistics and customs payments. In practice, businesses can initiate a transaction before receiving payment from the buyer. It acts as fuel for the export engine.

• Export Factoring

This solution is in demand for several reasons:

• It enables exporters to receive payment for supplied goods immediately after shipment when the foreign buyer has deferred payment terms;
• It does not require collateral or a third-party guarantee;
• It helps minimise the risk of non-payment by counterparties.

For businesses, this means stable cash flow and greater confidence in the future.

• Another key area of Eximbank Of Russia work is the development of payment infrastructure.

Investment cooperation cannot develop without modern cross-border payment infrastructure. Wherever investment occurs, there is an inevitable need for reliable payment mechanisms capable of supporting foreign economic projects. One such instrument is the Planeta platform, developed by Eximbank Of Russia in cooperation with regulators. It helps companies engaged in foreign economic activity make payments to and receive payments from overseas partners, facilitating long-term cooperation.

How does it work?

1. As on an exchange, the client submits a request to send or receive foreign currency and can compare the terms offered by accredited agents.
2. The platform automatically selects the most favourable solution for each individual payment.
3. The payment is processed securely and transparently for the relevant regulatory and supervisory authorities.

Key points about Planeta:

• It is not simply another service, but a comprehensive response to business needs that helps companies operate with confidence even in challenging jurisdictions.
• It is a proven and reliable solution for Russian companies that work with overseas partners and want to make international payments securely, promptly and without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• The platform enables timely and uninterrupted payments, which are essential to the development of Russia’s foreign trade relations with overseas partners.

For reference:

The platform’s main advantages:

• Flexibility — brings together more than 20 currencies and proven payment solutions within a single infrastructure; any exotic currency can also be added on request to process a payment in that currency;
• Reliability — automatically selects the optimal payment channel for any region of the world, taking reliability and legal transparency into account;
• Security — all transactions are conducted using a “secure transaction” mechanism designed to eliminate financial risk for the participant in foreign economic activity;
• Risk reduction — transaction participants communicate within the platform’s secure environment;
• Speed — payments are processed in as little as one day;
• Process optimisation — saves up to 70% of operational time;
• Geographical coverage — payments with China and countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

IV. All Services Through a Single Window, with Applications Completed in One Minute on the My Export Platform (“Government Services for Foreign Economic Activity”)

The My Export digital platform was launched in November 2020 as part of the International Cooperation and Export national project. It operates as a single window, providing exporters with online access to government and business services. The services offered by the My Export digital platform are intended for prospective and first-time exporters as well as exporters with experience in foreign economic activity. The platform’s main objective is to make it easier for Russian entrepreneurs to enter foreign markets. Its ecosystem ensures seamless interaction between companies, the government and other participants in foreign economic activity.

Through the platform, exporters can apply for support, obtain market analytics, identify overseas buyers and check counterparties’ reliability remotely, without visiting offices.

The platform in figures:

• More than 1,000 services available through the platform;
• More than 49,000 companies and individual entrepreneurs in the ecosystem;
• Over 3,000 new companies in the first half of 2026 alone;
• More than 80% of these are SMEs;
• More than 3 million applications processed since 2020.

V. In Summary — REC Provides an Integrated System at Every Stage

REC’s support is therefore structured as an integrated ecosystem: the REC Export School provides knowledge; the My Export platform (“Government Services for Foreign Economic Activity”) offers convenient access to services; Eximbank Of Russia provides financing; and EXIAR covers risks. This enables investors and exporters to obtain the full set of instruments they need within a single group, simplifying entry into foreign markets and reducing costs.